(Box Score) 

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Freshman Julie Behan (Laconia, N.H.) made her first career goal count Tuesday evening, scoring 13 minutes into overtime to lift Plymouth State University to a 3-2 victory over Fitchburg State College in a non-conference women's soccer game at Panther Field.

            PSU had taken a 2-0 lead in the first half but sophomore Carissa Kennedy (Somerset, Mass.) scored her first two goals of the season for the visitors in the second half for force the extra session. The win ends a seven-game winless streak (0-6-1) for Plymouth State as the Panthers improve to 6-8-2 overall.  Fitchburg State falls to 4-11-1.

            The visitors had the first good scoring opportunity of the game 12 minutes in as sophomore Lindsay Taylor (Blythewood, S.C.) fired a shot that went through the goalkeeper's hands but sophomore Stephanie Regina (Howell, N.J.) got enough of it and then recovered to make the save before the ball went over the goal line.

            PSU got on the board less than two minutes later when sophomore Sarah Pandiscio (Simsbury, Conn.) got past the Falcon defense on the right side and sent a cross into the box.  Senior Lauren Lavery (Nashua, N.H.) headed the ball right to sophomore Katherine Goller (Williston, Vt.), who knocked the ball through the keeper's legs for her first goal of the season.  The Panthers extended the margin to 2-0 midway through the half when Lavery received a pass from Pandiscio near the top of the box, made a move around a defender and hit a left-footed shot into the right side of the goal.

            The game stayed 2-0 until midway through the second half when Kennedy put the Falcons on the board.  Junior Julie Almstrom (Auburn, Mass.) blasted a long free kick into the goal mouth where Kennedy headed it over the keeper's outstretched hands and into the goal.  Kennedy nearly tied it up with 19 minutes remaining with a hard shot after breaking through the Panther defense, but Regina made a nice save.  Kennedy finally tied it up with 10:17 left when she made a move around a defender along the right goal line and lofted the ball high and into the net for her second of the game and forcing the overtime.

            PSU nearly came right back to regain the lead less than 30 seconds later but Lavery's blast from the left side rang off the cross bar.  The game appeared headed for a second overtime when Behan won it for the Panthers.

            Plymouth State finished with a 23-13 advantage in shots and a 7-1 margin in corner kicks.  Regina made five saves to earn the win in the Panther goal and senior Kyla Batchelder (Stoughton, Mass.) ended up with seven saves for Fitchburg State.

            Both teams wrap up the regular season with conference road games this Saturday, PSU visiting Eastern Connecticut State University for a Little East Conference clash (1:00 p.m.) and FSC traveling to Framingham State College for a Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference match-up (10:00 a.m.) 

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